The Euro Nitro Series heads to the home of the German F1 Grand Prix

  

This weekend (13-15 June) the Euro Nitro Series will take competitors to the home of the German Formula One Grand
Prix with Round 3 of the all new onroad nitro championship taking place at the famous Hockenheimring. The only
temporary track on the inaugural four race calendar, the venue has played a key role in the creation of the ENS which so
far this season has produced 4 different Top Qualifiers and four different race winners. Offering up its annual ‘European
Nitro Challenge’ event to be part of the ‘Pilot Series’ run by the ENS organisers last year, it was the success of this that
lead to the creation of a full championship for 2014.
 
The winner of the season opener in Melzo, Eric Dankel goes into his home event as a strong favourite and joint leader of
the points standings. 12-months ago, the Capricorn driver dominated 1:10 at the Pilot Race topping qualifying and taking
the win from France’s Basile Concialdi. A year earlier he also took the TQ and was on his way to the win until a flame
out left him second behind Dirk Wischnewski. Considered a home race for Team Shepherd, their headquarters just a
short drive away, Wischnewski, who shares the points lead with Dankel and Round 2 winner Dominic Greiner, would love
nothing more than to take his first win with his new team this weekend. Mastering the wet conditions in Austria, giving
Serpent’s new 748 Natrix victory on its debut, Greiner didn’t race at Hockenheim last year but that shouldn’t hinder the
talented German who will have Mark Green, who took the 1:8 win last year, back along side him after the British ace was
absent from Round 2.
 
Top Qualifier at Round 1, HB’s Teemu Leino will try to put the disappointment of failing to convert that into a win behind
him as well as making up for the disaster that was Aigen when he didn’t even make the A-Main. Runner up at his home
event, Italy’s Francesco Tironi was Top Qualifier in Austria but the World Championship podium finisher would have a
terrible race finishing 9th. Despite this the Shepherd driver holds fourth in the standings only 3 points off the leading
trio and as the lead Italian challenger this weekend he will be determined to reverse the result of Melzo and beat the
German’s on home soil.
 
Adding to the already ultra competitive 200mm field this weekend will be electric touring car aces Ronald Volker and
Alexander Hagberg. Having secured his fourth consecutive title in the world famous Yokomo Euro Touring Series last
weekend in Luxembourg, Volker joins the ENS thanks a deal put together by Mugen designer Robert Pietsch. Having
contested Round 4 of the ETS with one of Volker’s Yokomo chassis, Pietsch is returning the favour by providing Volker
with a prototype MTX-6 for Hockenheim. Volker last raced nitro at the 2012 World Championship in Thailand and is very
much looking forward to his return with Awesomatix lead driver & former 200mm Euro B Champion Freddy Sudhoff
acting as his mechanic. Hagberg, who raced at the second of the Pilot Races last year, makes his series debut after
electric touring car commitments ruled him out of the opening two races.
 
In the championship’s biggest class, 1:8, it is Swiss driver Simon Kurzbuch who comes to Hockenheim as the
championship leader with a 3 point advantage over former World Champion Pietsch. The Team Shepherd driver was
third at Round 1 and second at Round 2 and will be hoping to continue on that trend this weekend. With last year’s Pilot
Race winner Green focusing on 200mm, the favourite for the win has to be Pietsch. In 2012 the German TQ’d and won
the European Nitro Championships and last year he was Top Qualifier. Topping qualifying in Melzo but losing out on the
win late in the thrilling finale to Lamberto Collari, Pietsch was only 7th last time out and will be hoping his Hockenheim
result will ensure that it is his dropped round. Securing a debut win in Aigen, Xray’s John Ermen will be looking to back
that up with another strong run this weekend. The Dutch driver is another who didn’t race at the event last year but that
shouldn’t hamper him on the large open track where Enneti will provide the controlled tyres for both classes.
 
Sitting third overall in the standings, Round 2 Top Qualifier Oliver Mack is sure to be in the mix again with the
unassuming German having always shown strong at Hockenheim in the European Nitro Challenge. A class that has
enjoyed the arrival of a number of new manufacturers, two such teams WRC and BMT will be looking to Italian drivers
to bring them their first podium finishes of the championship. WRC’s Andrea Pirani holds 4th in the championship 1
point ahead of BMT’s Daniele Ielasi with the pair involved somewhat in a pride of Italy battle. Veteran racer Michael
Salven heads the challenge from 1:8 class stalwarts Serpent. A key supporter of the ENS, the German had a competitive
qualifying in Aigen and will be looking to emulate the success his team-mate Green had in Hockenheim last year. 
  

 

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